1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for measurement of thrombocyte function.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a need for thrombocyte function tests in the human and veterinary medicine sector, which tests can diagnose disorders of the thrombocytes (blood platelets) and of hemostasis, and can monitor anticoagulant therapies, in this connection that are more reliable in terms of prediction and more cost-effective, and can be used outside of clinical laboratories. The thrombocyte function tests that are currently available measure the reaction response of a thrombocyte population (several million thrombocytes) to agonists under static conditions. These conditions do not reflect in vivo conditions, where paracrine signals are dispersed, and also do not take into consideration the inherent differences in functional capacity (e.g. sensitivity) between different thrombocytes, particularly with regard to hypersensitive thrombocytes.
Light transmission aggregometry is considered the “gold standard” for thrombocyte function tests. Impedance aggregometry is not used extensively because of various factors that influence precision. At present, all thrombocyte tests analyze responses of a thrombocyte population to agonists (stimulants), but provide no information at the level of the individual thrombocytes.
A free-flow electrophoresis system having a microfluidic chamber is known from WO 2007/008064 A2, which system, as is sufficiently known for free-flow electrophoresis systems, serves to separate particles from one another on the basis of their electrical charges, and to analyze them, and to further influence the particles that have been separated in this manner, in a subsequent detection unit, if applicable.
A method is known from WO 2013/013228 A1, which primarily serves to study blood samples of patients to whom a medication was previously administered, in order to check the efficacy of the medication. Alternatively, it can also be provided to add such a medication or a corresponding substance directly to the blood sample, without previously administering it to the patients, and to conduct the corresponding tests afterward. Subsequently, in other words after the action of the medication or a corresponding substance on the blood sample, the sample is passed into an electrical field, and a distinction between activated and non-activated thrombocytes is made on the basis of the different deflection in the electrical field.
Microfluidic systems for characterization of particles and blood cells are known from U.S. Pat. No. 7,138,269 B2. In these systems, an electrical field can be used in order to characterize differently charged particles by means of different movement in the microfluidic system, wherein the individual particles can be examined individually. In this connection, a reagent can be added to the solution to be examined, which contains the particles, before the test.